Tubing



Juy 16, 1935. s. WILTSE 2,008,534

TUBING Filedl Feb. l2, 1950 6 INVENTOR E Sumner Wz'li'xse.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 16, 1935 Y UNITED STATES PATENT 'FFICEk 2,008,534 i y TBIG Sumner Wiltse, Detroit, Mich. Application February 12, 1930, serial No. 427,875

s claims. (ci. 1er- 75) This invention relates to huid conducting therethrough will leak out and an adequate and tubing. sufficient supply of the fluid will continue to The main objects of this invention are to propass to the engine even though the copper tube vide an improved construction of tubing parshould become entirely broken in two parts. l 5 tioularly suitable for use where it is subjected In the construction shown in the drawing a "5 to considerable vibration, such as the fuel and length f annealed ccpleer tubing "5, iS COVeled oil lines of airplane motors and the like; to With fabric, preferably Of the frietien type, by provide an improved construction of tubing in Winding a strip of adhesive tape L or the like, which the vibration is substantially lessened or` helically abOut the tube aS ShOWn in Fig. 1 of 'Io dampened; to provide a fluid conducting tubing the draWin'- Ordinary eleetricianefrictien tape 10 which upon structural failure or rupture `will not is quite suitable for this purpose, particularly input the line entirely out of service, but continue aSnuCh aS beth Sides 0f this kind 0f tape have to supply fluid therethrough, and to provide an adhesive materiai therecn- V improved construction in which any leaks or The fabric ceyered tube iS then DrOViCleCl With l Other failures may be readily and visually located. a tight fitting sleeve 8 of yielding or elastic mate- 15 An illustrative embodiment of this invention rial' Such aS rubber, Which under Dermal eruniS Shown in the accompanying drawing, in which; stressed conditions has a smaller inside diameter Fig. l is a view in elevation of the tubing during than the outside diameter of the fabric covered its rst manufacturing operation. i tube.

2() Fig. 2 is a View partly in elevation and partly The rubber ccVer may be assembled OntO the 20 in section, during the second manufacturing Opfabric covered tube in either one of two dilferent eration. y ways, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

Fig. 3` is a sectional view taken on the line In the embodiment ShOWn in Fig. 2, a IOund 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated headed plue e is placed in the end of the fabric d5 by the arrows. covered tube, designated' I0 in this view. The 25 Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly yrubber tube 8 iS Secured by a clamp li t0` the diS- in section, of a modified method of putting the Charge end of an air valve I2, which communiyouter covering on the tube. Cates with a suitable source of rair under presi Fig. 5 is a view showing a vmodified form of Sure u Y p 35 constructing the product. The outer end i 3 of the rubber tube 8 is grasped B0 At the present time the greatest number of by one hand ofthe workman and the fabric covfailures in airplane flying are being caused by ered tube l0, held by the ODDOSite hand, and fuel lines and oil lines being split or broken by abutted against the Open end Of the tube. VAt reason of the vibration to which they are subthis time the air valve l2 is opened so that the u a5 iected. Disastrous results are many times the 'air hows out into tube 8, as shown by the arrow 35 result of structural failures, not only because of le. By reaSOn 0f the blug 9 being abutted tightly the inevitable forced landing, but particularly if against the end of tube l0, the air beine introit is afailure of the fuel line the gasoline leaking duced into the rubber tubing Will cause it te out through a split or break oftentimesV catches Stretch and Swell aS Shown by the dctted lille`- l5.,

i6 fire, thus enveloping the entire machine in 'thus permitting the tube I 0 to be readily inserted 40 flames, causing an explosion of the gasoline tank Within the rubber COVerh-g 3- The air Valve l2 with the consequent complete destroying of the is then closed and the elasticity of the rubber machine and appalling loss of life. tube 8 will cause it to tightly grip the outside of Annealed copper tubing is universally used at the fabric cOVereCl tube l0.

ine present time for the fuel and oil lines of In the method Shown ih Fie. 4 of the drawing 45 airplane engines, and my improved invention One end 0f the rubber tubing 8 iS tied by a 00rd consists in adding to this annealed copper tubi6 SO that air cannet escape therefrom. The ing certain Coverings 0f fabric and rubber which fabric covered tube ill is connected to a source perform two useful functions, of air under pressure so that the air will flow The nrst function performed is by the coverthrough the tubing 6, as Shown by the arrow l1. 50 ing of the tubing, damping or reducing the vi- The end of the tube I is then abutted against bration of the tube very materially. 'Ihe second the Open end 0f the rubber tube 3, causing it t0 function performed is that in the event of a stretch and swell as shown by the dotted line I 8, split, break or other structural failure of the at which time the tube l0 may be readily intubing, only a small amount of the fluid passing serted Within its rubber cover. During the insertion of the tube in both instances air will be continually escaping around the outer side of the fabric covered tube, thus keeping the rubber tube 8 in loosely spaced relation to the tube ID until it has been fully inserted therein.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the general structure is strengthened and improved by helically winding a metallic ribbon I9 about the tube after the fabric 1 has been wound thereon. This ribbon may bel/8 inch copper ribbon with two or three convolutio-ns per inch if desired. After the elastic 'rubber covering 8 has been assembled upon the tube a knitted fabric outer covering 2D may be placed thereover, so as to protect the rubber from cuts, bruises and other injuries. Y

In the operation of this tubing the fabric and rubber covers being closely associated to the copper, and tightly gripping same, will tend to dampen or lessen vibration of the tubing to a very material extent. Y

Y However, in the event of any structural fail-" ure such as a split or a crack in the tube, gasoline or oil leaking through such a rupture will percolate through the fabric covering to a slight extent and when such fluid contacts with the rubber covering 8, it will cause the rubber to swell at that point due to the solubility of rubber in petroleum distillates or the chemical action between them. Such swelling of the rubberrwill,

ofcourse, be readily discernible to the eye, thus facilitating inspection of the :duid lines of the airplane or the like, even though the rupture may be of such slight character that if it occurred on ,bare tubing as heretofore used, gasoline leaking therethrough would be immediately evaporated by the'atmosphere, and such leak would not be discernible to the inspector. cover 20 is employed, it may prevent visible swelling of the rubber, but the fuel or oil, as the 'case may be, Vwill seep through the fabric and will discolor it so as to make the leak easily discernible. f

y Although but one specific embodiment and one modification of this invention have beenherein lshown and described, it Will be understood that .other details of the construction may be altered or omitted. without departing from the spirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims: Y Y

. 1. A fluid conducting line comprising a metallic tube, a strip of adhesive fabric helically wound around said tube, a metallic ribbon helically Wound around said fabric covered tube, and a covering of rubber surrounding said tube, fabric and ribbon.

*2. A fluid conducting line comprising a metallic tube, a strip of adhesive fabric helically Wound around said tube, a metallic ribbon helically Wound around said fabric covered tube, a

Where the fabric covering of rubber surrounding said tube, fabric and ribbon, and an outer covering of woven fabric surrounding said rubber covering. Y

3. A rubber-covered flexible metal tube comprising an inner seamless flexible metal tube having a continuous unbroken wall, a thin fabric covering cemented to the outer surface of said tube and a preformed rubber tube placed over and cemented to said fabric-covered metal tube.

4. A liquid fuel or oil conducting line for connection with a source of supply at one end and to an internal combustion engine at the other, said conducting line comprising a metal tube and a rubber covering therefor, said tube and covering being so proportioned whereby any leak in the tube, due to rupture of the wall thereof, will cause the rubber covering to swell upon contact with the fuel or oil leaking through the rupture and thereby forni a visual indication at the point of the rupture.

45. A liquid fuel or oil conducting line for connection with a source of supply at one end and to an internal combustion engine atthe other, said conducting line comprising a metal tube and a rubber covering therefor, means for bonding the covering to the tube, said tube and covering being so proportioned wherebyrany leak in the tube due to rupture of the wall thereof will cause the rubber covering to swell upon contact with the fuel or oil leaking through the rupture and thereby form a visual indication at the'point of rupture. l

6. A liquid fuel or oil conducting line for connection with a source of supply at one end and to an internal combustion engine at the other, said conducting line comprising a metal tube and a rubber covering therefor, said rubber covering normally having a smaller inside diameter than the outside diameter of the metal tube sc that the rubber tube is in stretched relation therearound, said tube and covering being so proportioned whereby any leak in the tube due to rupture of the wall thereof will cause the rubber coveringto swell upon contact with the fuel or oil leaking through the rupture and thereby form a visual indication at the point of rupture'.

'7. A liquid fuel or oil conducting line for connection with a source of supply at one` end and to an internal combustion engine at Vthe other, said conducting line comprising an inner tube of a material insoluble in petroleum distillates and an outer covering surrounding said tube comprising material soluble in petroleum distillates, said tube and covering beingso proportioned whereby any` leak in the tube due to rupture of the/wall thereof will cause the covering to swell upon contact with the fuel or oil leaking throughthe rupture land thereby form a visual indication at the point of the rupture. Y

, SUMNER WIL'ISE.` 

